Who were the Hebrews in the Bible?

What does the Bible say about the Hebrews?

The Hebrews were an ethnic group descended from Abraham, also known as Israelites or Jews. The term "Hebrew" first appears in the Bible in reference to Abraham (Gen.14.13) and is later used to refer to his descendants, the Israelites, throughout the Old Testament. The Hebrews were distinct from the Egyptians (Gen.43.32; Exo.1.15,16,19) and other nations, and they were often oppressed or enslaved (Exo.1.11-14; 5.3). God identified Himself as the God of the Hebrews (Exo.3.18; 5.3; 7.16; 9.1,13; 10.3) and gave them laws and commandments to follow (Exo.21.2; Deu.15.12). The Hebrews were also known for their language, Hebrew (Luk.23.38; Act.6.1), and their religious practices. In the New Testament, the term "Hebrew" is used to refer to Jewish Christians who spoke Hebrew or Aramaic (Act.6.1) and to emphasize the Jewish heritage of some early Christians (2Co.11.22; Php.3.5).

Where does Hebrews appear in the Bible?

Hebrews is referenced in 17 verses across 5 books. Every passage below is about this one, not just every verse the word turns up in.

• 1 Samuel 4:6
• 1 Samuel 4:9
• 1 Samuel 13:7
• 1 Samuel 13:19
• 1 Samuel 14:11
• 1 Samuel 14:21
• 1 Samuel 29:3
• 2 Corinthians 11:22
• Exodus 2:13
• Exodus 3:18
• Exodus 5:3
• Exodus 7:16
• Exodus 9:1
• Exodus 9:13
• Genesis 40:15
• Genesis 43:32
• Philippians 3:5

What else appears in these passages?

These turn up in the same passages as Hebrews.